Maphophi Ramathobi
I am a 19-year old Masotho studying domestic science in Leqele, a part of the capital city, Maseru.

My life is going in a direction I never imagined a few years ago. I had to drop out of high school because my mother had to quit work to have a baby. There wasn't enough money to pay my school fees. But today I am heading "on-the-road" for two weeks with 13 other classmates to do a national drama tour and peer education workshops on "Life Skills" and HIV-Aids prevention.

I am excited because the Peace Corps Volunteers on our campus are seeking funding to sustain this project. I can then pursue my goal of being a professional actress and manager of a traveling HIV-Aids drama group. My ultimate goal is to come to the U.S. and present our "traditional style" HIV-Aids dramas to American youth.

Like most young people in Lesotho, I am afraid of dating seriously because of HIV and the consequences of getting pregnant outside of marriage. I am a Catholic and birth control is a problem